Back to Walking

In my detest for doing long slow distance, the baby in my belly has summoned me back to walking for exercise. I am trying to get in at least two long walks per week in addition to at least two strength and conditioning sessions.

Yesterday
10/25/08
Walked about 4.5 miles

Today: 10/26/08
Circuit, rest at end...felt phenomenal. Best in a while. Used 12kg for all.
1. Clean, Press and Overhead Squat 5R/5L
2. Plank-1 Arm Rows 6R/6L
3. 1 Legged Deadlift 5R/5L
4. Power Wheel (2 separate ones) Rollouts 10
Icing on the cake: H2H Swings: 6 rounds X 30 sec. ea.

Update

Prego: About 10 Weeks, baby is the size of a kumquat
Weight: 132.5-Gain of 1lb, Not showing to anyone except me.
Energy: Picking up but still tired midday

Today's Practice: 3 Sets, Rest as needed
1. Sandbag Lunges-Alternating Shoulders 8R/8L
2. Staggered Grip Pullups 5
3. 1/2 Get up with Press at bottom 16kg X 5, 4, 3 ea. arm
4. H2H Swings 16kg X 20

Few and Far Between

It is a totally different experience being pregnant the second time. When Kai was coming along, I had my face in a book reading about babies and pregnancy all the time. Now I barely have a moment to remember that I am pregnant. It is all I can do to remember to take my vitamins, folic acid and omega 3's. In addition, working out has not been top priority for me this week. I have slipped a bit but for good reason. My butt has just been to tired.

Nevertheless, I found some energy today (after Kai's 2nd birthday party) for a slow workout. Felt good.

Today's Practice: 3 Rounds
1. Squat Catch to Front Lunge 12kg, 6R/L
2. Clean and Press 12kg, 5 R/L
3. Deep Overhead Squat Dowel Rod, 8 reps
4. KB Bent Row 12kg, 6 R/L
5. 1-Leg Cross Body Deadlift 12kg 6R/L

Battling the Energy Suckage

Besides seeing two lines on my stick, there is only one other issue that is reminding me of my pregnancy. Lack of energy. I remember this well from the first go round. Wake up and making it through morning session, only to be greeted by an energy suckage after lunch time. This is why I have only worked out 2 times in the past week. Even when I finally find time and get going, my heart rate is higher, recovery slower, and I just feel like stopping mid way through the workout. Think my body is trying to tell me something?

It is extremely important not to get overheated during pregnancy, especially the first trimester. Temperatures about 102.6 degrees F can increase the risk of central nervous system abnormalities in the fetus. This takes me back to a 100 degree day last pregnancy when I went walking with a friend. Although my son turned out just fine, I just knew I should have stayed home that day. I was completely hot and exhausted. Smart girl doing a stupid thing.

So today's practice was as follows: 3 Rounds
1. 1H, 2 KB Deadlift (in center hang position) 12kg X 2, 8 reps each.
2. Renegade Rows with a Pushup 20 lb dbs, 4 ea.
3. Clean and Press 12kg, 5 reps ea.
4. Swings 2H, 16kg, 15 reps
And pooped out.

Weight: 131.0 lbs.

Baby On the Way!

Number 2! Tommy and I super excited to add another awesome kid to our family. I am going to chronicle my pregnancy while still playing with the kettlebell in hopes that someone else may find the info useful. I may end up making this a blog in its own so be aware of an address change.

To start off, we just found out this weekend so the news is extremely new and just starting to soak in. I thought about waiting until after the first trimester to tell everyone but that wouldn't allow me to post and keep track so that others could see how training might change. So wish me luck that everything goes as planned!

Hopefully I will get to train today. After finding out I just stopped doing anything (since Saturday, today being Tuesday). But today, despite the lack of energy, I am going to pick my bum up and move.

Today's Practice: 4 sets

Clean and Squat and Press 12kg X 2 5/5/4/4

Pullups 5/5/4/4

TGU 12kg 4/4/3/3

Swings Transfers 16kg X 20 reps

Not alot of energy and my heart rate seems to be high today.

I am going to try to keep up with pics so here is one to start:

New Blog Page

I have started a new blog page (www.headstrongathletics.blogspot.com) to try and focus on business instead of my own training. The newest post is entitled "A Positive Life Spreads"

I will be posting on both but will probably put the meaty stuff on the other one and keep this one for my training. We'll see how it goes.

Yesterday:
1. 2H Swings 24kg 30 sec on/30 sec. off
2. TGU 16kg 4 ea. side
3. 2H Swings 20 kg 30 sec on/30 sec. off
4. TGU 12 kg 4 ea. side
5. Transfer Swings 16 kg 30 sec. on/30 sec. off
6. TGU 8kg 4 ea. side

I just love the basics!

2 Days till FMS

I am super psyched to get back up to Minnesota for CK-FMS. Just being up there with all that good energy is enough to keep me running strong for a while.

If you have not gotten my latest email, HeadSTRONG Athletics has kicked off. I sent out info on my upcoming classes this morning and have gotten great response already. See my side panel if you did not receive an email and call asap 910-231-5011!!!!

It has been a battle to get a workout in this week. Besides trying to do as much as possible before I leave, it has been so stinking hot in Wilmington (today was 107 heat index with a swamp load of humidity). So I have been sprinting in the pool in hopes to stay cool. But today, I finally hit the A/C and worked my tail off for a good spin.

4 Rounds: Simple and Sinister:
1. Clean, Squat and See-Saw Press 12kg X 2 5 reps
2. TGU 16kg 2R/2L
3. 2H Swings 20kg 20 reps

New Logo:

Same as it ever was

Yesterday:
5 sets:
1. Clean Squat and Press 12kgX2/5
2 Sets:
2A. Windmill with Press at Top 12kgX2/5R/5L
2B. TGU 16kg 3R/3L
3. Snatches, 12kg continuous for 5 rounds of 10R/10L (about 4:15 min, slow)

Today:
2-2 minute sets of Push-me/Pull-me Suicides (quad burner!) with partner and 2-2 minute sets of Quick Steps on bench

This one is for Tim who asked what I was standing on for the top picture: Don't doubt me, fireman!

Back on the Rope

7/27/08
Sunday's Workout: 4 rounds
1. Sandbag Clean and Lunge, alternating shoulders 10 reps
2. Pushups 10
3. Sandbag Push Press alternating shoulders 6R/6L
4. Heavy Rope Velocity, variations 30 sec.

7/28/08
Monday's Workout: 4 Rounds of Tabata
Alternated between kb swings/snatches and rope variations.
Kicked my butt!

Sprint Baby

Yesterday:
Three Rounds of Tabata throughout the day when I had time.

Today:
10-20 sec. sprints (running) with 40 sec. rest

Basics

I am going back to the basics this week and doing the RKC Minimum to give my body a little rest.

Today:
Transfer Swings 12kg for 1 min work/10 sec rest for 12 min.
TGU 12kg for 5 minutes (8 per side)

Used my new Gymboss. Worked like a charm.

Gymboss is the Bomb

For those of you who have not ever used the Gymboss Interval Timer, I highly recommend it. I go so sick of trying to do Tabata Protocols using my Ironman watch that I finally broke down and got a Gymboss. Now I can do swings or snatch variations without ever having to look at my watch (which really gets in the way when snatching). The Gymboss allows you to set two different interval periods so your work/rest can be different. I thought it was going to be bigger but I was pysched to find out that it actually clips on your (fill in the blank, pants) so you can run, jump and boogie with it. So get your Gymboss today!

Practice this week:
7/17/08
A repeat of my Awesome workout at an earlier hour in the day. Much harder the second time.

7/18/08:
Tabata for three rounds:
First two rounds: Swing Variations
Third Round: Side Shuffles and In Place Hopscotch

Today: Off and Ice Cream

Grind that Stretch and 20kg Press

Ever since going through RKC in April, my squat has bothered me. It just gets me that I cannot go rock bottom without my pelvis tilting. In the technique challenge I had to stand wide and stop short just so I wouldn't tilt. I also have this hangup about stretching. Yes, it is something that I do for my clients; some of who see great strides and some of who (you know who you are Twisted Steel) have not changes in three years. I just can't seem to make it a big part of my program. I thought Z Drills would do the trick. They have helped a ton but I am still having issues. I want a rock bottom squat and a solid pistol. So I have started prying, grinding, wall squatting and working on my technique to get there. This will be an off day promise.

Other than that I did a few GTGs just to move a bit: Hanging leg raises, Full body roll outs (working on getting out without putting my knees down), and pistols (oh, pistols...Lefty is a bitch.)

Also had a PR today. Pressed the 20kg for 1R/L X 2! Doing it on the TGU really fired me up!

Adding this photo of my son. We had a spectacular trip in the mountains over July 4th. This is one that may get blown up.

Go away kettlebell (for a day)

Did a quick calisthenics/light equipment workout in Tabata fashion after work. Needed to lay off the kbs after snatching my hands to death yesterday. They are on the brink of blisters and are so tender that I can't even imagine swinging one today. My left knee has also been bugging me for the last few days. It started after doing a morning routine last week of jump rope, bench hop ups, hop overs, burpees and other fun bouncing moves. So of course in my "ignore it now, pay later" way, I went ahead and bothered it some more. Off to ice it.

Today:
4 rounds of Tabata calisthenics (20 sec. on/10 sec. off for 8 sets each round>4 minutes ea. round):
Round 1: Hindu squats and Pushups
Round 2: Front Lunges and Tube Rows
Round 3: Jump Squats and Bar Twists
Round 4: Mountain Climbers and Ball Slams
1 set of TGU's 20kg/2R/2L just because I can. Love that!

20kg TGU

I just had a awesome session yesterday. Could have been that I wasn't on a time limit or maybe that I was the only person in the gym but nevertheless, I just felt better and stronger than ever. Went like this:

Full Z warmup
4 sets:
1A. 1H Snatch to Overhead Squat 12kg/5L/5R
1B. Renegade Rows 20 lbs dbs X 2/ 5L/5R
3 Sets:
2A. Windmills with Press at top 12kg X 2 5R/5L
2B. Squat Catch (with full squat between) 20kg/5
3A. TGU 16kg 3R/3L (1 set), 20kg 1R/1L (2 sets)
3B. 1H Swings 20kg/10R/10L

This was my first attempt at the 20kg for TGUs. Felt stable and strong. I just can't get over how hard a TGU with a 12kg was when I first tried it. Now I am using the 20kg. Goes to show that practice pays off.

Today will be some intervals out back with the rope and snatches. I have been in the sun all day so it is going to take some motivation to get back out there.

HeadSTRONG Athletics is coming together quite nicely. I have some more pieces to the puzzle to get started with confidence but everything is working out great. I have set up an event at Pomegranate Bookstore for August 28th. This will be my first speaking engagement so I am a bit nervous. I am in the process of getting the format together now.

Adios!

Flow Drills

Tried something a little different today. I combined a few moves into one long drill. Some call them flow drills (AOS). Here is what it looked like...all done with 2 12kgs:

A. 4 sets, 1 minute rest between sets
1. Double Turkish Get-up X1
2. Double Swings X10
3. Double Clean and Squat and See Saw Press X5
4. Double Swings X10
5. Racked Turkish Get-Down X1
6. Lay there and wonder how to get up again. Just kidding, but it was hard!

B. 3 sets, , 30 sec. rest between sets
5 reps each side
1. Snatch to top
2. Windmill
3. Lower to racked position
4. Repeat
5. Plank 1 minute hard style after R/L sets

Backyard Blitz

Strength
3 Sets:
1A. Clean/Shoulder Sandbag Lunges 5 ea. leg
1B. Pullups on Training Board (Fingers only) 3 reps
1C. Clean and Zercher Squat 10 reps
1D. Pinwheel (Side Plank in between) Pushups 10 reps
1E. Swings Transfers 16kg/10ea.
2 Sets:
2A. Turkish Get Ups 16kg/3 reps consecutive

Quick Post

6/21/08 Strength
4 Sets:
1A. Tactical Lunges 12kg 20 reps
1B. 1H Bent Over Rows 20kg/4 reps ea.
1C. Front Squats 12kg X 2/8 reps
1D. Clean and Press 12kg X 2/5 reps
1E. 2H Swings 20 kg 15 reps
2. Plank 3 Sets 1 minute ea. Elbow, Hands, Side Hand

6/22/08
Tabata Protocol 4 Rounds (Loving this!)
1. Swing Variation
2. Jumping Jacks and Burpees
3. Snatches
4. Swing Variation

Tabata Day

I have been doing interval training for almost a year...strictly. This is a big change for me from the days of walking, running, rowing etc. And I can honestly say, my body feels so much better now that I am not pounding pavement anymore. I tried out the Tabata Protocol today...not too much different than what I was doing but I stuck to the rules with today's routine. 20 sec. on, 10 sec. off.

Round 1: Swing Variations 16kg
Round 2: Alternating Snatches and Squat Catch
Round 3: Alternating Squat Jumps and Pushups
Round 4: Swing Variations 16kg
Various rest periods between sets dealing with a 1 1/2 year old.

I have really been training pretty consistently despite the lack of posts. A typical strength session will look something like this:
1. Clean and Squat 5-8 reps
2. 1 side Press 3-5 reps
3. Swings 20-30 reps
4. Pullups 4-6 reps
Get Ups, Windmills, Power Wheel or Hanging leg raises (whatever is calling me for the day.)

I have also been having fun with my heavy rope (50ft., 1 1/2 in.) a got from www.ImmortalUSA.com. What an ass kicker. I still get smoked doing 25 sec. If you haven't ever used one, check out www.BattlingRopes.com. John Brookfield does an excellent job teaching if you ever get lucky enough to attend a workshop.

Battling Ropes

I spent all day yesterday in Pinehurst, NC with some friends getting our Battling Ropes Certification. OH my goodness! Never knew ropes could hurt so bad. Talk about taxing your heart. John Brookfield was an awesome teacher, not to mention a strong dude. He blew all of us younger peeps out of the water when it came to strength endurance. I can see the carryover this type of training has into sport and firefighting. Hopefully I will be able to introduce it to the athletes and departments in the Wilmington area. Here are some pics and clips from the day: